and critics of the obama administration warn that setting such a high bar to greater u.s. involvement in that conflict, namely the waging of chemical war by a nation against its own citizenry could be sending the assad regime the wrong message. >> it sort of suggests or implies that anything up to this red line we're not going to take action. and i think it will be disheartening for that reason to the syrian opposition because as we said, shep, 40,000 people have been killed and i think they will will look at this and say, well, you know, how many more people would need to be killed before the international community decides to take action putting aside the question of the chemical weapons. >> now, the fighting in syria has gotten so bad that the united nations announced today it is withdrawing all of its nonessential personnel. about 25 of the remaining 100 u.n. staff who are still in the country expected to be out by week's end, shep. >> shepard: james rosen at the state department. north korea is at it again. set to launch a wrong rage rocket within days, second of the